According to the commissioned study from The Ohio Citizens for the Arts, the arts in Ohio have experienced significant growth in the past few years and now account for more than $41 billion in economic activity while supporting nearly 290,000 jobs in Ohio annually.

Ohio Citizens for the Arts released findings from a commissioned study, developed in conjunction with the Center for Regional Development and Bowling Green State University, that explored the true power and impact of Ohio’s creative industries.

The arts sector in Ohio has experienced significant growth in the past few years and now account for more than $41 billion in economic activity and support nearly 290,000 jobs annually. These results proved that Ohio’s creative industries are much more than regional amenities— but are powerful economic engines.

Additionally, every one of the creative categories featured in the report has experienced an increase in economic output since 2015.

The report, while focused in particular on Ohio’s six metropolitan areas (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Youngstown), also suggests that the economic impact of creative industries was not limited to just urban areas. While 70 percent of the creative industries’ impact was located in those six metropolitan areas, additional Ohio municipalities make up nearly 30 percent of the creative economy with more than $12 billion in annual activity. This defies popular perception that creative activity is primarily an urban phenomenon.

“This study shows conclusively that the arts sector impacts Ohio’s economy in a big way—in both the rural areas and metropolitan areas,” said Ohio Citizens for the Arts Executive Director Bill Behrendt. “We see that the arts are a powerful economic driver that provides jobs, develops the workforce, attracts talent, and contributes to the health of the state by generating revenues that support Ohio’s infrastructure.”

Key Local Findings from Akron:

• The creative economy generates $1.4 billion in the Akron MSA (metropolitan statistical area)
• The creative sector supports 17,608 Akron jobs and supplies more than $768 million in wages and proprietor income.
• Advertising and public relations lead the creative industries. The sector is responsible for $339 million dollars and supports 1,766 jobs in the Akron MSA.

View more data here: artsimpactohio.org/akron

Key Local Findings from Cleveland:

The creative economy generates $9.1 billion in the Cleveland MSA

The creative sector supports 62,499 jobs and supplies more than $3.3 billion in wagesand proprietor income.

Advertising and public relations lead the creative industries. The sector is responsible for$1.0 billion dollars and supports 4,716 jobs in the Cleveland MSA.

View more data here: artsimpactohio.org/cleveland

Locally, Jarrod Hartzler of Tuesday Musical, Nicole Mullet of ArtsNow, and Megan L. Van Voorhis from Arts Cleveland serve as board members for Ohio Citizens for the Arts and share in the excitement of these numbers and what they mean for their communities.

“To grow and celebrate our creative industries is to grow and celebrate our local economies individually and our state economy as a whole,” stated Behrendt. “The wealth of internationally recognized art museums and performance venues, an unending string of critically-acclaimed bands and music festivals, plus the plethora of designers, photographers, and filmmakers creating cutting-edge promotional work for national brands are just some of the ways the creative industries elevate the perception of Ohio as a hub of creativity, attracting both employees and firms.”

The report also shows that as technology and outsourcing continues to displace manufacturing workers, as technology, service, and creative sectors have emerged as drivers of regional economies.The educated, highly-skilled workforce propelling these emerging sectors has become an increasingly important factor in regional economic development strategies.

This report confirms that creativity, innovation and knowledge creation are now central to economic prosperity.

To download the full report or a quick stats summary, visit artsimpactohio.org. The site also provides free-to-use, informative graphics to share more details of the findings.